329trafficking is classified as a Class B felony,172 which imposes aprison sentence not to exceed twenty-five years173 and “a fine not toexceed five thousand dollars or double the amount of the defendant’sgain from the commission of the crime.”174 However, this criminalstate statutory provision is not close to the high level of punishmentthat is imposed by the federal TVPA, which provides for a maximumsentence of life imprisonment depending on the age of the victim.175Additionally, as is discussed later in this article, New York does nothave a statutory provision for asset forfeiture.iii.Identification of victims

Domestic minor sex trafficking victims are “notoriously hard
to identify.”176 These children often do not self-identify as victims
due to fear of psychological abuse by the trafficker and the existence
of trauma bonds that are developed during the process of
victimization.177 In addition to the lack of self-identification among
this population of children due to the effects of “pimp-control,” these
children also face immense shame and stigma, which makes them
“hesitant to reveal their participation in these markets.”178 An
additional obstacle is that service providers who are not already
working with domestic minor sex trafficking victims, including
doctors, are cautious to identify children as victims of trafficking
primarily because they are unaware of the available treatment and
referral options.179

“As a result of these and other factors that keep the problem
hidden, many trafficked youth who come into contact with service
providers and the legal system do so under cover of a variety of
issues other than sex trafficking.”180 In New York, these issues